Autism Services for Adults in Oregon: A Complete Guide

Medical Disclaimer: This guide is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional advice from Oregon ODDS, your local CDDP or Brokerage, Oregon VR counselor, or a disability rights attorney.

The transition to adult services in Oregon — often called the "services cliff" — hits when school-based IEP supports end, typically by age 21. What used to flow automatically through the IEP (speech, OT, structured day, behavior support) suddenly requires separate applications to separate state agencies. Oregon is unusual — and fortunate — in that most adult IDD services flow through the 1915(k) Community First Choice (K Plan), a Medicaid state-plan benefit with no waiting list for eligible individuals. This guide walks you through every step — eligibility through your county Community Developmental Disabilities Program (CDDP), the K Plan, ODDS waivers, Oregon VR, day and housing programs, SSI/SSDI, and how to start transition planning before your student ages out.

The timeline: start transition planning by age 14

Federal IDEA requires transition planning in the IEP by age 16. Oregon districts often begin at 14, and Oregon's Age 18 Transition planning is particularly strong. Ask your IEP team to:

• Conduct transition assessments (vocational, functional, adaptive)
• Write measurable post-secondary goals into every IEP
• Invite your CDDP Services Coordinator and Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) to the IEP meeting
• Apply for DD eligibility by age 16–17

Step 1: Apply for DD eligibility through your county CDDP

Every Oregon county operates a Community Developmental Disabilities Program (CDDP) that manages eligibility and service coordination for most children and adults with IDD. For adults, you can also choose a Support Services Brokerage as your service coordinator instead of the CDDP. To access adult services:

• Contact your local CDDP (find it through the Oregon Department of Human Services — Office of Developmental Disabilities Services (ODDS) at https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/seniors-disabilities/DD/Pages/index.aspx)
• Submit documentation of autism/IDD diagnosis, onset before age 22, and functional impact
• Complete adaptive and cognitive testing if not already on file
• Complete Oregon Needs Assessment (ONA) and person-centered planning

Once eligible, you will have a Services Coordinator (CDDP) or Personal Agent (Brokerage) as your day-to-day coordinator. Most adults eligible for ODDS services also qualify for the K Plan.

Step 2: The K Plan — Community First Choice (1915(k))

Oregon's 1915(k) Community First Choice — commonly called the K Plan — is a Medicaid state-plan benefit (not a waiver), which means there is no waiting list for eligible individuals. The K Plan funds attendant care, skills training, and behavior supports including:

• Attendant Care (ADL/IADL support) — daily living and personal-care assistance
• Skills Training / Habilitation — community and employment skill-building
• Behavior supports — BCBA services, positive behavior support plans
• Relief Care (respite)
• Assistive devices and environmental modifications (within K-Plan limits)
• Employment services — job discovery and ongoing support

Participants can self-direct their K-Plan budget, hiring their own attendants (including many family members, within Oregon rules) through the Home Care Commission.

This no-waitlist design is one of the strongest in the country and the primary reason Oregon's transition to adult services tends to go more smoothly than in most states.

Step 3: ODDS Waivers — Adult Comprehensive and Support Services

For adults whose needs exceed what the K Plan alone can fund, Oregon has 1915(c) waivers administered by ODDS:

• Adult Comprehensive Waiver — for adults needing 24-hour residential or intensive community supports
• Adult Support Services Waiver — for adults needing community supports while living in a family home or their own apartment
• Children's Intensive In-Home Services (CIIS) / Behavioral Model Waiver — for children with intensive behavioral or medical needs (pre-transition path)

Waivers layer on top of the K Plan to fund residential services and higher-cost community supports. Your Services Coordinator or Personal Agent will help determine which waiver, if any, fits.

Step 4: Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation (Oregon VR)

Oregon VR, part of the Department of Human Services, is the state's vocational rehabilitation agency — separate from Medicaid. It includes the General VR program and the Oregon Commission for the Blind (OCB) for individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Services include:

• Vocational counseling and assessment — career exploration, aptitude testing
• Job training and placement
• Supported employment — job coach during ramp-up
• Assistive technology — communication devices, adaptive tools
• Post-secondary training — college, trade school, certifications
• Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) — ages 14–21 while still in school
• Benefits counseling

Apply through your nearest Oregon VR office; the plan is an Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE). Oregon VR is a federal-state program on annual budget cycles and has historically operated under an "order of selection" waitlist. Apply early. You can use Oregon VR alongside the K Plan and ODDS waivers.

Oregon is also an Employment First state under the landmark Lane v. Brown settlement — ODDS prioritizes competitive integrated employment over facility-based or segregated work.

Step 5: Day Programs and Supported Employment

Common adult day program models funded through ODDS and the K Plan:

• Community Inclusion / Day Supports — structured community-based programming
• Supported Employment — individual competitive jobs with coaching
• Discovery and Customized Employment — strengths-based job carving
• Attendant Care / Skills Training under the K Plan

Major providers include Mentor Oregon (Sevita), Edwards Center, Exceed Enterprises, UCP of Oregon and SW Washington, Partnerships in Community Living (PCL), Albertina Kerr, Providence Child Center programs, and many regional nonprofits. Your CDDP Services Coordinator or Brokerage Personal Agent will help match providers.

Step 6: Housing Options for Adults with Autism in Oregon

Oregon funds residential models through the Adult Comprehensive Waiver and supporting K-Plan services:

• Supported Living — individual/shared housing with drop-in K-Plan attendants
• 24-hour Residential / Group Homes — licensed settings with round-the-clock staff
• Foster Care for Adults with Disabilities (AFH) — adult lives with a licensed provider family
• Host Homes / Companion Care
• In-home family supports — adult continues living with family with K-Plan support

Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) programs can stack with K-Plan and waiver supports. Supported living and AFH typically open faster than 24-hour group homes.

Step 7: SSI and SSDI for Autistic Adults

SSI (Supplemental Security Income)

For adults who cannot work enough to support themselves. Income- and asset-based. Oregon provides automatic Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid) upon SSI approval.

• Apply through SSA.gov or your nearest Social Security field office
• Expect 6–12 months for the initial application
• Most initial applications are denied — file an appeal within 60 days
• Approval often requires functional-capacity evaluation and medical/psychological documentation

SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance)

For adults with a work history or as a Disabled Adult Child (DAC) drawing on a parent's work record. If your child became disabled before age 22 and a parent is retired, deceased, or disabled, your adult child may collect SSDI at significantly higher rates than SSI, plus Medicare after 24 months. Consult a disability benefits attorney.

Step 8: Oregon–Specific Advocacy and Resources

• Disability Rights Oregon (DRO) — federal Protection & Advocacy; free legal help
• The Arc Oregon — family advocacy, chapter network, trust and estate-planning programs
• Autism Society of Oregon (ASO) — statewide family navigation
• FACT Oregon — family-to-family training and support for all disabilities
• Oregon Self Advocacy Coalition (OSAC) — self-advocacy by and for autistic/IDD Oregonians
• Oregon Council on Developmental Disabilities (OCDD) — systems-change and self-advocacy funding
• OHSU Institute on Development & Disability — clinical and research programs
• 211info Oregon — community resource hotline

Common pitfalls to avoid

1. Assuming the K Plan is automatic. You must still be found ODDS-eligible through your CDDP. Start the eligibility process by age 16–17.
2. Assuming school services transfer. They don't. IEP services end at 21; K Plan, ODDS waivers, and Oregon VR are separate applications.
3. Not choosing between CDDP and Brokerage carefully. Brokerages often offer more flexibility; CDDPs are the default. Ask your Services Coordinator/Personal Agent about the differences.
4. Forgetting Oregon Health Plan redetermination at age 18. Your child becomes their own Medicaid household at 18.
5. Signing away guardianship reflexively. Oregon has a strong supported decision-making movement. Consult an elder-law attorney.
6. Missing Oregon VR at graduation. Oregon VR and the K Plan run in parallel.
7. Not planning for the Disabled Adult Child (DAC) benefit. Often the single largest long-term financial lever.

Where to start today

1. Contact your county CDDP or a Brokerage to begin DD eligibility: https://www.oregon.gov/dhs/seniors-disabilities/DD/Pages/index.aspx
2. Request an Oregon VR application if your adult child is approaching school exit
3. Apply for SSI if appropriate — the process takes months
4. Schedule an IEP transition meeting for your 14+ year-old
5. Connect with FACT Oregon, The Arc Oregon, or Autism Society of Oregon for a family mentor

Find Oregon adult services in the Autism Hearts directory →

View the Oregon diagnosis guide if you haven't already →